24/06/2026 Session
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, today expressed its concern at a broad climate of “silencing critical voices in Azerbaijan”, including through restrictive legislative measures, which effect has been to “suppress independent journalism, genuine political opposition, civic space and freedom of expression”.
It condemned the ongoing detention and prosecution of Anar Mammadli, a human rights defender, election monitor and winner of the 2014 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. It also denounced the repression affecting journalists and staff of independent media previously operating in Azerbaijan, bloggers, pro-democracy activists, opposition figures and human rights defenders who are either in detention or under house arrest.
In this regard, the Parliamentary Assembly is concerned about the significant rise in the number of reported political prisoners – 328 in May 2026 – and by the high number of leading judgments of the European Court of Human Rights still pending implementation in respect of Azerbaijan.
Adopting a resolution based on a report by Christophe Lacroix (Belgium, SOC), PACE urged Azerbaijan “to respect its international obligations under the Statute of the Council of Europe,” and under the European Convention on Human Rights and other international human rights treaties.
The parliamentarians called on the Azerbaijani authorities to cease the threats and prosecutions of individuals who have been targeted due to their journalistic activities, reporting on corruption, their pro-democratic stance, or their defence of human rights, and to ensure the immediate release of those detained. Furthermore, they called for the release of those found to be political prisoners, in accordance with the definition set out in PACE Resolution 1900 (2012).
According to PACE, the Azerbaijani authorities should refrain from using their decision not to submit a parliamentary delegation to the Assembly as a pretext not to fully abide by their obligations and commitments as a member state and as a State Party to Council of Europe treaties.
The Assembly also called on the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to make use of the powers conferred on him under Article 52 of the Convention, “in order to obtain explanations from the Azerbaijani authorities as to how their internal law ensures the effective implementation of the Convention”.
Finally, it called on the Milli Mejlis to resume dialogue with the Assembly to address these concerns and considered that “it is also in the best interest of Azerbaijan to co-operate effectively with all Council of Europe bodies and to benefit fully from this co-operation”.